Bright skies, sunny runway in New York at Lela Rose fashion show

NEW YORK - The skies cleared at New York Fashion Week and it was like Lela Rose made it happen. Her spring collection, previewed Sunday morning, was upbeat, wearable and, dare we say it, pretty.

She drew inspiration from the waves, surfers and scuba divers of Venice Beach, Calif. She explained in her notes that "silhouettes resemble sculpted surf wear while soft wave and cascade shapes bring an ocean feel to the collection."

Her colours borrowed from daybreak and sunset. There were a few pieces, including a green one-shoulder dress with rows of vertical blue laser-cut fabric, that mimicked the rolling tide.

Rose showed a knack for chic daytime dresses (actress Mariska Hargitay was wearing one in the front row) that had an easy chicness, without anything too formal or fussy. A sea-glass blue cotton dress with an open neck, drawstring waist and zip front would have been perfect on this Indian summer Sunday in New York.

A few ecru-coloured jacquard pieces were a little dressier, but the yellow splash floral pattern on them made them versatile for more casual occasions. The best version was a short sport jacket with a green ribbon-stripe T-shirt and bright navy stretch pants.

A white random ribbon-lace sheath showed good workmanship. Rose also saw value in keeping some things simple. There was a basic twist on the straps of a magenta faille gown to make the dress something special.

The only misses were the overly done looks, including a blue wrapped one-shoulder gown that looked perfect for a beauty pageant. The designer also continued what might be a hard trend for everywomen come spring: a lot of attention - and fabric - on the hips.